The Luck of the Irish
by The Good Girl
Summary: Maggie Malloy's life was always easy until it took an unpleasant turn. Can she learn to trust and love again, with the help over her newsie friends, and what happens when she seems to be falling for the cold hearted Brooklyn Leader?
1. Default Chapter

The Luck of the Irish  
  
Maggie Malloy hastily made her way down the crowded Manhattan street desperately trying to find a newsboy. Her mother had sent her out to by the morning edition before breakfast. Maggie was thrilled to get out of the house; she hated being stuck in the cold and old Brownstone she had resided in since she was eight, when she had come to America from Ireland.  
  
Maggie pulled her long pea coat that fell to her ankles closer to her. It was freezing outside, the crisp October wind whipping her crazy red tresses about her as she looked maniacally for a newsie, any newsie. She only had minutes until her mother would scold her for being late. Maggie put a white- leather gloved hand into her coat pocket and pulled out a nickel. Just as she had given up hope and was about to turn around and go home, she spotted a newsboy just at the corner of the street she was on, hawking out ridiculous headlines she highly doubted we true. He was standing just beside a warm chestnut vender selling steaming bags of chestnuts to passerby's.  
  
Quickly crossing the street before she was run over by a horse and carriage, Maggie made her way up to the newsboy. She waited until he had finished selling a paper to a young girl around her age. He was taking quite a long time, and as Maggie waited longer and longer she got impatient.  
  
"Excuse me!" She cried exasperated, her voice hinted with her native accent. "Are you quite done here, eh?" She wasn't one to be arrogant, but she really was in a hurry.  
  
The girl turned around and frowned. She shook her head and scampered away, her blonde locks flowing behind her. The newsboy rounded on Maggie looking extremely aggravated.  
  
"Whatcha do dat foah?" He said. "Dat was meh one ticket tah pleasah awl night!"  
  
Maggie made a face which said 'revolting' all over it. "Please, spare me," she said, not wishing to hear the details of the boys idea of a night full of pleasure. "May I please have a paper?"  
  
The newsboy shook his head, and bent over his bag, searching for a newspaper. Maggie studied him. He was tall, much taller than her. A few heads above her she guessed. He looked around eighteen or nineteen, no younger nor older. He was wearing a long shirt rolled up at the sleeves coming to his elbows. His newsie hat was placed upon his head, covering his brown curls, and he wore cut off pants. It was very cold out, and Maggie stared at him, amazed he could take this weather.  
  
"Aren't you cold?" Maggie couldn't help asking. She was freezing and she was wearing a petticoat, thick long sleeved blouse and ankle length skirt, plus her wool long coat AND white leather gloves. How did this boy do it?  
  
The boy looked up at Maggie, and she was startled by his warm chocolate eyes. He didn't seem aggravated anymore, and his demeanor was much less tense. Handing her the paper, he waited for his money. Maggie shook out of her daze and handed him his money.  
  
"I'se savin up foah a coat. But I'se used to dah cold," he said, his voice soft and warm.  
  
Maggie pitied him. Here he was, not much older than her own sixteen years of age, making a living for himself. She adored him immediately, admiring his bravery. She had been supported pretty decently most of her life, and never had to worry about food on the table, or clothes to wear.  
  
"Really? I admire you," she said. She couldn't help it. She had a tendency to say things on her mind right away.  
  
The boy looked taken aback. "Aye, yeh do?" He asked roughly, shifting his weight to his left foot. "Most goils would be like awl 'awwwwwl' and give me some moah money. But you'se..foist you'se break up me one chance wit dat blonde doll, and now you'se is admirin' me foah bein poah. What next? Are you'se gonna make me sing ya dah headlines?"  
  
Maggie scrunched her nose at him. "Oh haha. I'm sorry, sometimes I say things off the top of my head and I can't help it." Maggie could feel herself blushing, suddenly self-conscious. She cursed her creamy, white skin at the moment. Why couldn't she just stop blushing? Blinking her extremely deep blue eyes, she shook her head. "I'm sorry, thank you for the paper."  
  
She turned to go, but paused when she heard the boy call out for her name. Maggie turned around. "It's Maggie. Maggie Malloy."  
  
The boy smiled. "Me names Mush. I'se hope tah see ya round Miss Maggie."  
  
With a small and shy smile, Maggie turned and disappeared into the mad Manhattan rush. 


	2. Hills of E'ire

"Momma I'm home!" Maggie called as she hung her coat up on the coat rack just beside the front door. The old home was cozy and as Maggie hastily set her gloves down on the furnace, she peered around her home. The smell of freshly baked pumpkin pie floated through the home, giving off a fragrance that made her stomach rumble. There was a parlor just down the hall as Maggie walked through the home and she passed a library on her right. No one were in these rooms, and she figured the rest of her family were in the kitchen. Making her way quickly to the kitchen clutching the newspaper, Maggie followed the scent of the pie.  
  
She finally reached the old kitchen and grinned when she saw her mother bent over the stove stirring a large pot. Her older brother, Caleb, was sitting at the table reading a book. She grinned at him. He was tall, much taller than her own five feet and four inches, he reached roughly six four. He didn't look very Irish, with his midnight black hair. But his emerald sparkling eyes and pale skin gave away his Irish traits. The whole family had those emerald hues. Caleb was had been eighteen for some time now but look anything like it, despite his height. He had a pleasantly youthful looking face and was rather lanky, and he smiled when he saw Maggie walk in.  
  
Beside Caleb was Maggie's other older brother, Bran. Bran had turned seventeen in June, and made Maggie very aware of it. Maggie was usually teased by Bran, he was the quirky Malloy son. Tall like the rest of the Malloy boys, he was just under six two, with black hair just like his brother. His eyes were as emerald as ever, and the two boys looked so much alike that most mistaken them for each other. Bran wasn't as beautiful as Caleb. His features were sharper and chizzled. He still looked young for his age, though.  
  
Maggie had three other older brothers, Aidan, Garrett and Keelin. They were back in Ireland with her father. Aidan was the oldest at twenty six, and was married with two little girls. Garrett, was twenty four, also married and with a newborn lad. Keelin was just twenty and living with Mr. Malloy, helping him with the farm. Maggie missed them all so terribly. She hadn't seen them in more than eight years. When Maggie, her mother and Bran and Caleb had come over from Ireland, the others were supposed to meet them there. But the rush was incredible and the others couldn't come over for so long. They were set to come in a few months, and Maggie was so excited to finally get to see the rest of her family! How she had missed them! The next ship that sailed to America wasn't until after March, and Maggie could hardly wait. She had two nieces and a nephew to look forward to seeing, plus her father and brothers!  
  
Maggie walked into the kitchen all the way and sat the paper down at the table.  
  
"I though yeh'd never get it!" complained Bran as he snatched up the paper, skimming through the headlines. "What took yeh so long, eh? You left more than an hour ago!"  
  
Mrs. Malloy turned toward Maggie and scowled at her youngest child. "Aye, Maggie m'dear. I didn't ask yeh to go venture about, did I? You had meh worried sick, yeh did!"  
  
Maggie rolled her eyes as she sat down. "I'm sorry Mother. I could hardly find any newsies at all! And when I did he was too busy talking to some lass and didn't notice me until forever.." Maggie trailed off as she thought about Mush. He was a strange fellow, he was. She began to play with Bran's wooden sail boat he was working on. He had quite the craftsmen hand.  
  
"Bran, how long have you been working on this one?" She asked, examining the mast. "It's beautiful!"  
  
Bran shook his head. "Not too long. It's nothing yet, yeh just wait until I got it all painted and whatnot."  
  
Maggie smiled at her brother. "I can't wait! Can I have this one?"  
  
Caleb put his book down. "Aye, Maggie! You've got about a million of those things! Everyone Bran's ever made is in yeh room." He grinned at his younger sister. "Yeh've got yerself quite a collection."  
  
Maggie scrunched her face at him. "Oh bah! I love his works! And what are you reading now? You always read. Always!"  
  
Caleb smirked. "It's called Oliver Twist. Quite good, actually. You might like it."  
  
"Oh bah!" Bran laughed and set back to work, however Mrs. Malloy was not amused.  
  
"Aye, Maggie! Go clean up for lunch! Yeh don't look lady like at all. And what is of this non sense word, 'bah?' Yeh aren't a lad like yer brothers!"  
  
Caleb and Bran started laughing and Maggie frowned. Sighing, she bounced lightly out of the kitchen and went to wash up for lunch. 


	3. Meeting the Newsies

Slightly nervous, Maggie walked with Mush down the busy Manhattan road. It had been many weeks since their first meeting and Mush and her had become quite good friends, often meeting in Central Park to talk just about anything.  
  
But today Mush had insisted that he bring her to Tibby's where most of the newsies liked to eat for lunch. She was nervous about meeting all of his friends; a bunch of teenage boys being loud and obnoxious didn't sound too appetizing. The wind whipped her long, shiny, slightly wavy red hair around her creamy pale face and she took a deep breath.  
  
"Mush, are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked uncertainly.  
  
"Ah, come on Mags! Dontcha back out on me now! Me boys, dey gonna be just fine!" He said, grinning at the girl's obvious nervousness.  
  
That wasn't the only thing on Maggie's mind. Lately, her family had been suffering and soon she was going to have to give up her studies and find work. Everyday less and less food was put on the Malloy table, and soon there would be none. Soon Bran and Caleb would have to take up another job besides working at the factory, and her mother's decline in health did not help one bit.  
  
"Mush, I dunno," she said again as they turned the corner for the restaurant. "I mean, I really shouldn't even be out!"  
  
This was partly true; she should be home helping her mother. Her best friend Kaylee Saunders would be home also, finally getting off working at her mother's sewing shop for once. Kaylee only lived a few blocks away, but lately Maggie was seeing less and less of the funny girl.  
  
"Maggie! Stop yer worryin! Come on! We'se heah!" He said, taking her hand and pulling her into the loud restaurant. Maggie's heart stopped at the sight before her.  
  
The small diner was infested with teenage boys and a few girls all her age and all newsies. She was seriously frightened. It was very loud in the diner and as her head scanned the crowd, many of the boys whom were playing loud games of poker, many heads turned their way and muttered hello's and heya's to Mush. He grinned and waved and led Maggie over to a table holding several newsies and a couple of girls.  
  
"Heya fellahs!" Mush said happily. "Dis is Maggie. She's gonna eat wid us fer today."  
  
"Lookie, Mush's gots a new goil already!" A blonde boy with a patch on his eye snickered along with another Italian boy with an unlit cigar in his mouth.  
  
"Boys, boys!" A girl with long, dark hair falling over her shoulders said grinning, her large brown eyes glowing with excitement. "That's no way tah treat a lady! I'se Spinnah." The girl smiled at Maggie and Maggie couldn't help but notice how very stunning the girl was. She was sitting in between a boy with a red bandanna on his neck and another boy. Maggie looked at the other boy and couldn't tear her eyes away from his icy blue hues.  
  
"I'se Jack Kelly," the boy with the bandanna said. "Dis is Blink and Race." He pointed to the boy with the eye patch and the Italian. They grinned at her and Blink even winked. Maggie grinned back. "And dis is they's goils, Spinnah-you'se met her, she's Blink's goil, and dat's Baby, Race's goil."  
  
Baby was a petite girl with long, flowing blonde locks that ended in baby curls, and wide, anxious, big blue eyes. She had the look of a princess out of a fairy tale. She grinned at Maggie for a moment, then went back to talking to Race.  
  
"And I'se is Storm, Jack's goil," said another girl, sitting on Jack's lap. She had long, black hair that was shiny and tumbled down her back, clipped to the side and was rather short. She was probably the most beautiful girl ever, and Maggie felt so out of place. Storm was rather arrogant and just smirked at Maggie. Storm's grey eyes were big and skeptical.  
  
"And just forget me, eh boys?!" The boy with the most gorgeous blue eyes said, with a cold hard smirk. "I'se Spot Conlon sweety, and dis is Widow, me goil." Maggie looked at his girl and frowned inwardly. She didn't even look at her and was too busy kissing Spot's neck. She had red hair like Maggie's and had beautiful blonde streaks through it. It was long also and shiny, making Maggie very jealous. Her emerald eyes were hard and cold, but she didn't look at Maggie.  
  
"He's dah leadah of Brooklyn," Mush whispered in Maggie's ear. "Bettah watch out foah him."  
  
Maggie nodded and took a seat between Mush and Race.  
  
"So, Maggie, you'se new 'round heah?" Race asked her while Baby also listened with interest.  
  
"No," Maggie said. "I moved here a while ago from Ireland. But I met Mush a few weeks ago and he wanted to take me here.so here I am." She grinned at Race and he returned the gesture.  
  
"So, you'se is Mushie's goil, eh?" Baby asked.  
  
"Oh no!" Maggie said taking a sip of her water. "We are just friends. I-no. I would never think of him that way. He's been very kind to me though." She blushed as Race just shook his head with a grin and Baby winked at her.  
  
Maggie found herself enjoying the newsies company. After about in hour, they joked around with her and teased her just as they did themselves; they were very loving people to her surprise. She found she liked Baby the best and Race; they made plans to meet her tomorrow in Central Park and hang out for a while. Blink and Spinner also agreed, and pretty soon Maggie was very excited.  
  
"I better be going," Maggie finally announced. "It was nice meeting all of you." She smiled at them, and got up to leave.  
  
"Need me tah walk ya home?" Mush asked, standing up too.  
  
Maggie smiled. "You have done enough Mush. I'm okay from here. Bye!" She kissed him on the cheek in a friendly matter and left Tibby's.  
  
As she walked down the Manhattan street she hadn't realized how late it had gotten. She was a bit nervous walking by herself, and when she heard her name being called her heart stopped and she turned around.  
  
But it was only-Spot Conlon?  
  
"Uhm, can I help you?" Maggie asked, uncertain to why he was following her. The other newsies had informed her to stay away from his charm; he was known as a womanizer. Plus, his current fling, what was her name.? Ah! Widow, she was a tough one and knew if Maggie was with Spot would surely have her head.  
  
"Heya, a goil such as yerself shouldn't be walkin home alls alone," he said, reaching her. He was much taller than her one five feet four inches and as she walked beside him, she couldn't help but get butterflies. He was so handsome!  
  
"That's okay, really," she said, stiffening up.  
  
Spot only shook his head. "Nah, I'se gonna walk yah home goily, whether you'se want me to or not." He smirked.  
  
"You better not! Widow wouldn't be too happy.and besides.I can handle myself!" Maggie said, always the stubborn one.  
  
"Who cares 'bout Widow? She's only good fer a few lays, den I'se letter loose." Spot smirked when Maggie looked obviously violated.  
  
"That's a horrible thing to say!"  
  
"Ah, well, it's dah truth, doll."  
  
Maggie made a face, shook her head, and allowed Spot to walk her home, but she didn't dare talk to him for the rest of the night.  
  
*~*~**~*~**~*~**~*~**~*~**~*~**~*~**~*~**~*~**~*~**~*~**~*~**~*~*  
  
It'll get better, I promise! Next chapter, more Spot action! Please, please, review! 


End file.
